Democratice Republic of Congo
Luba

Wood, calabash, fiber
Early 20th Century
Length: 9.5 inches
Idiophone – Struck Indirectly – Shaken -Rattle

Scarification patterns on the body and elaborate coiffure attests to the high rank of both the depicted figure and the owner of the rattle. Some evidence shows that the Luba were formally a matrilineal people. The depiction of the feminine attributes serve as references to the founding female ancestor and symbolizes the continuity of power through the matriline. Great care was devoted to the carving of this ancestral figure which serves as a handle to the rattle.